


you are the reason

by reylosea



Category: Adam Driver - Fandom, Charlie Barber (Marriage Story) - Fandom, Marriage Story (Movie)
Genre: Charlie and the reader have been dating for a while, Comfort, F/M, Insecurity, Love Confession, Nurturing, just some self indulgent comfort, serious relationship, soft charlie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:35:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26268082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reylosea/pseuds/reylosea
Summary: “No more late nights. I promise.” He kissed your forehead, and rested your head under his chin. His hand was once again sliding up and down your back. “Starting now.”“You can't promise that.”“I can promise you anything. And everything. I don't want to be the reason you lose sleep. Or worse, that you decide not to stay anymore.”
Relationships: Charlie Barber/Reader, Charlie Barber/You
Comments: 20
Kudos: 33





	you are the reason

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this because I needed some comfort and I wanted Charlie to be the one giving it to me.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this soft piece of my imagination on how a relationship with Charlie would be.

  
Cover by the author.

  
The night was cold. You fell asleep alone on that king size bed that wasn't yours. You had no idea why you kept accepting those invitations if Charlie was never there at the time he asked you to arrive. 

“Just take my spare key, you have some stuff at my place right?” You nodded, leaving the theater. It wasn't in your plans to fall for an older guy, a man with a child and divorce in his baggage. You didn't care tho, because Charlie felt like a Sunday morning whenever he was looking at you and only you.

The way his eyes stared into yours, like he could see so much beyond them. He was searching for your soul. He told you that the first time you went out to dinner. He was charming and a gentleman, and when he held your hand over the table, you felt funny in your chest. His eyes were beaming with passion and no one had ever looked at you so intensely before. He walked you home, kissing your lips so softly you barely tasted him; but that didn't make it less electrifying. 

Six months later you were in his bed. It became a habit. Not just sleeping over, but spending time together. Charlie was always working on something, so you usually just made him company while going through your own stuff. Sometimes when you shared the dining table because the papers he needed were too much for the office, you'd held his hand while you were reading. 

But the past weeks, Charlie came home too late. You had no idea why he kept asking you to be there, since it was late enough for you to be deep asleep, and in the morning when you woke up to leave early, you had no heart to wake him up to say goodbye. 

That night, you tried to stay up, but your day had been too tiring for that. It was a bit past midnight when your eyes opened from the brief sleep. No sign of Charlie. Again. You got out of bed, dragging your feet across the floor. There was a grey cotton shirt on top of a chair; Charlie probably used that the day before. It still smelled like him. You took off your pajamas, and put on the shirt, hugging your shoulders. 

“I miss him. Damn it.” You mumbled under your breath. 

You decided to go for a glass of water before returning to bed. The corridor was dark, but you could see that the light from the office was on from under the door. You scratched your eyes, trying to remember why you left it on. You went to the kitchen first, taking the glass of water with you on your way to turn off that light. The office door squeaked a bit when you opened, and you heard a noise, something like papers falling on the ground. 

“Babe, what are you doing up? It’s late.” Charlie's voice was smooth, but a bit hoarse. He was sitting on his lounge chair, reading glasses on. 

“I… got thirsty.” You said, showing him the glass in your hand. 

“Care to share?” He asked with a small smile. He put the thick script he had in hands on the side table, inviting you to his arms. 

You could never say no to him. To that face, those eyes and how the way he looked at you always made you feel so special. That was the main reason you kept staying. Even if he wasn't there. Just for him to know that you'd be there, waiting for him to come home. And that he could cuddle you in your sleep and just hold you in his arms, if that made him feel even the slightest happier somehow. 

You walked over to him, taking a few sips from the glass. You handed it to him, and he chugged the rest of it down too quickly for his own sake. You sat on his lap, without a word, pulling your legs to your chest and resting your head on his shoulder, curling in like a child. His chest was broad enough to accommodate the whole of you. His long arms embraced your figure, squeezing you while he kissed your hair. 

You lingered there for a bit, before he’d ask you to go back to bed and that he’d be there in a bit. Charlie was a lovely man, but work got in the way of everything in his life, and it felt like there wasn't room for anything else, not even you. 

“Everything okay, honey?” His voice was muffled because he buried his nose into your hair. He loved how your shampoo smelled of peaches. 

“Yes… I just miss you. But I know you have to work.” His long fingers were lightly caressing your back. “I'm going back to bed.” You tried to get out of his lap, but Charlie just held you in place.

“I miss you too. I'm sorry I've been working so much.” You straightened yourself up, trying to look at his face. He looked tired, but as beautiful as always. You put a hand on his chest, to reassure him that you understood. His heartbeat was a bit off. 

“I miss falling asleep with you. You spoiled me since the first time I stayed after dinner…” You smiled and he couldn't help but to kiss your smile. 

His lips tasted of coffee and mint. You tangled your fingers in his hair, breaking the kiss. You wanted to look at him, just to see if the man from that first date was still there. 

“You can rest for a bit here. I just have to mark a few more pages, no more than fifteen minutes.” He grabbed the script again, accommodating you better so he could still read. You closed your eyes, head on his chest; he was still holding you like you were too precious to be let go of. It felt safe there. 

Charlie was holding you with his other arm, and it felt like just a minute had passed when you opened your eyes again. The script was on the table, together with his glasses. He was humming something very quietly near your ear, and nothing felt as good as Charlie caring for you like that. You lifted your head, letting him know you woke up from your small nap. 

You tilted your head, analysing his face a bit more cautiously now. Charlie furrowed his brows, a confused look on his face. 

“What?” He asked, resting his hand on the side of your face. You closed your eyes for a bit, leaning in his hand. His thumb traced your lips, and he was still staring at you when you opened your eyes back.

“I'm just memorising my favorite person.” He kissed you again, a bit deeper now. You laughed in between his lips, forgetting that you felt sad just a few moments before getting inside his arms. 

“I'm your favorite person then?” You nodded, caressing his face. He took your hand in his own, planting a kiss on your palm. “Is that why you're wearing my shirt?” 

“It smelled like you. I rather sleep when you're around…” You couldn't help to express the little sorrow from missing him all those last nights. It comforted you that he was always there in the morning, but that wasn't when you needed him the most. 

“No more late nights. I promise.” He kissed your forehead, and rested your head under his chin. His hand was once again sliding up and down your back. “Starting now.” 

“You can't promise that.” 

“I can promise you anything. And everything. I don't want to be the reason you lose sleep. Or worse, that you decide not to stay anymore.” 

“Maybe if it was that bad, I'd left already. I don't want to, don't worry.” You reassured him. 

“Good. I can't lose that.” 

“Can't lose what?” 

“You. Being the last thing I see and touch before falling asleep. The first smell in the morning, just right before you wake up and I hold you once again because I know that you'll leave soon.” 

“You're the reason I stay, Charlie.” His heart was beating faster again, you could feel it more clearly with your head resting on his chest.

“And you are the reason I've been my happiest for the last three months. I love you, honey.” 

That caught you off guard. Because you had loved him from the first moment he held your hand, unaware of what that gesture meant at the time. But you always felt like Charlie always had so much on his plate, you didn't want to add up to that. To become needy or a burden. You were just enjoying him while he was there, but you were lying to yourself by saying that only that was enough. Because you wanted the entirety of him. And for once, you could believe he might want the same thing. 

“I've heard you say that while you were sleeping. Two weeks ago. But I wanted to say it first.” You rolled your eyes, chuckling. You kissed his jaw, making the way to his lips. You pecked him lightly, not allowing him to deepen the kiss. 

“I do love you. And I swear that I just need a few nights of you coming home early to sleep with me.” 

“Only that? No Sunday breakfast, movie dates or using me as a bed?” Charlie was laughing now, and you slapped his shoulder. 

“I was adding to the never ending list of things you need to give me, dear. But let’s start with a reasonable sleep schedule, shall we?” 

“Right away, darling.” 

Charlie tossed his legs to the side so he could get up, never letting go of you. He held your legs under your knees, his other arm holding your back in a bridal carry. He turned off the office light, bumping the sideboard on the corridor.

“You know I can use my legs, right?” You laughed, but Charlie just blew your hair from his face.

“No, you don't need to use them.”

He got to the room, letting go of your legs but still holding your back. You wrapped your legs around his waist, hugging him like a bear. The side table lamp was on, the light was dim and the room finally felt truly comfortable with Charlie there. He held you by your thighs, staring at your face. You could barely see his dark eyes in that light, but you could feel them glowing on you. 

“Hi.” He said, tightening you inside his arms.

“Hey babe.” 

His lips were on yours before you could say anything else. Hungry and desiring, like he had wasted so much time in keeping you waiting. You clenched your hand to his hair, trying to somehow pull him closer while he carefully laid you in bed, trying not to crush you between him and the mattress. In between Charlie tracing his kisses from your lips to your neck, back to your lips again, your realised he didn't taste like coffee anymore. He tasted like _home_.  
  


_I'd climb every mountain_  
_And swim every ocean_  
_Just to be with you_  
_And fix what I've broken_  
_Oh, 'cause I need you to see_  
_That you are the reason_

**Author's Note:**

> If you reached this point, thank you! ♥  
> Kudos and Comments are very welcome!
> 
> You can find me on [here](https://twitter.com/reylosea) if you wanna get in touch!


End file.
